NEWS
USCIS launches new online fee calculator to help avoid incorrect payments
USCIS has launched a new Online Fee Calculator to assist members of the public in calculating the correct fee amount to include when filing their forms with USCIS at an agency lockbox facility. A list of forms processed at USCIS [...]
H-1B CAP & USCIS’ New Registration Process – What You Need to Know!
Introduction: On December 3, 2018, USCIS-DHS, published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to change the H-1B filing and random selection (read lottery) process. The new process will require employer’s to electronically register to file each prospective petition for their [...]
ALERT – LCA system Down
LCA and PERM Prevailing Wages Processing to Resume Tentatively at 2:00 p.m. EST on MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019 Last night, the DOL announced that: The iCERT system for application processing is tentatively scheduled to open at 2:00 p.m. EST [...]
ALERT – LCA system Down – iCERT Portal System is currently unavailable
Updated January 3, 2019, 10:40 AM EST Within first five minutes of opening the semi-annual H-2B certification process on January 1, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor iCERT system had an unprecedented demand for H-2B certifications with more than [...]
Update on USCIS Practice of Denying Pending Forms I-131 for Abandonment Due to International Travel
USCIS recently updated its website with information regarding the agency's practice of denying pending Form I-131 advance parole applications for abandonment due to international travel. Specifically, USCIS indicates on its website that if an applicant files Form I-131, Application for [...]
AAO Appeal Adjudications statistics FY 2014 – 2018
When adjudicating an appeal on the merits, the AAO generally sustains (approves), dismisses (denies), or remands (returns) the appeal. USCIS posts AAO appeal statistics report from FY 2014-2018.
USCIS Offices Closed Wednesday December 5
All USCIS offices will be closed Wednesday to Dec. 5, a national day of mourning to remember the life and legacy of George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States. USCIS will reschedule all naturalization ceremonies, interviews, and appointments [...]
USCIS Offices Will Remain Closed on December 5th, Interviews Rescheduled
In honor of and to mark the passing of President Bush (41), the USCIS field office in Hartford, CT will remain closed on Wednesday, December 5th. Additionally, our Office has been receiving calls from field offices in other parts of [...]
DHS Proposes Merit-Based Rule for More Effective and Efficient H-1B Visa Program
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions to first electronically register with USCIS during a designated registration period. Under the proposed rule, USCIS would also [...]
Registration Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File H-1B Petitions on Behalf of Cap-Subject Aliens
The Department of Homeland Security is proposing to amend its regulations governing petitions filed on behalf of H-1B beneficiaries who may be counted toward the 65,000 visa cap established under the Immigration and Nationality Act (“H-1B regular cap”) or beneficiaries with [...]
USCIS Clarifies the L-1 One-Year Foreign Employment Requirement
USCIS has published a policy memo clarifying the requirement that a qualifying organization employ a principal L-1 beneficiary abroad for one continuous year out of the three years before the time of petition filing (“one-year foreign employment requirement”). Please see [...]
New ETA Form 9035
The new ETA Form 9035, LCA for Non-immigrant Workers is now available. We are aware of the change and have implemented appropriate changes to our processing.
Policy forthcoming for the practice of denying pending I-131 applications
Sources indicate USCIS will end the practice of denying pending I-131 applications when an applicant travels overseas. At CIS Ombudsman Annual Conference, USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna indicated this policy will be forthcoming. We will provide updates as we receive [...]
USCIS to Expand Information Services Modernization Program to Key Locations
USCIS will expand its Information Services Modernization Program to key field offices, beginning with the Detroit Field Office and the five offices in the Los Angeles District on Nov. 13. Field offices in the Newark, Great Lakes, and San Francisco [...]
USCIS Announces Workload Transfer of Certain H-1B Petitions from CSC to NSC
USCIS announced that on 10/30/18, it transferred Form I-129, Petition for Non-immigrant Workers, for petitioners requesting H-1B non-immigrant classification from the CSC to the NSC.
BALCA Upholds Denial Based on Procedural Grounds
BALCA found that when an employer requests review by BALCA, rather than filing a MTR, BALCA is only bound to consider information before the CO upon denial and the employer is prevented from supplementing the record with information. (Matter [...]
USCIS Using Tablets to Administer the English Reading and Writing Tests for Naturalization
On Oct. 1, USCIS began using digital tablets to administer the English reading and writing tests during naturalization interviews as part of the agency’s ongoing business modernization efforts. Although USCIS applicants already use digital tablets to sign or verify parts [...]
BALCA Upholds Denial Based on Newspaper Ads with Multiple Openings
BALCA found that while a single ad may be used for more than one position, it does not sufficiently apprise U.S. workers of an opportunity if it does not include the position’s title and includes a careless summary of duties [...]
DHS Final Rule Increasing the Premium Processing Fee
DHS final rule is increasing the premium processing fee charged by USCIS. DHS is increasing the fee by 14.92 percent, from $1,225 to $1,410. This rule is effective on October 1, 2018. Applications postmarked on or after that date must [...]